Visiting Home
by Wild Force Ranger
Summary: In which we meet the next of the --er--next generation. It's better than it sounds, honestly! Allies: Interlude 6.
1. Default Chapter

Visiting Home—One

Author's note: And so we come to the end of _Allies. _Never fear, though, the Rangers will—occasionally—appear in the rest of the Chronicles.

I know this is an Interlude, but there was so much I wanted to put in it I had to split it into chapters.

True and Dominic—this one's for you.

Visiting Home

"Go away!"

Merrick looked up at a loud _crash _above them. "Does that happen often?"

Taylor nodded. "Cole looks really tired. Alyssa's hardly sleeping anymore."

"Surely that's bad for the baby." Merrick protested.

"She's not feeling very logical right now, Merrick." Max pointed out.

"Being overdue'll do that to you." Eric agreed.

"How would you know?" Taylor asked. Eric just smirked.

"You're going to be late, Taylor." Max said suddenly. Taylor glanced at the clock and cursed softly.

"Yeah. You guys'll be OK?"

"We'll be fine. Go to work." Eric told her. Taylor stared at him until Merrick intervened, "We'll manage, and if we can't we'll call you."

"That's more like it." Pointedly ignoring Eric, she left the room to say goodbye to Cole and Alyssa.

"Cole wasn't late, right, Merrick?" Max asked a few minutes later. Merrick mentally rolled his eyes but didn't comment, knowing well Max was just trying to pass time. The Rangers knew Cole's story as well as their own.

"No, Cole was born a week early. A little underweight, six and a half."

"Poor Alyssa." Eric commented. "Three weeks overdue? Must be rough."

"Go _away_, Cole!" Something else _crashed _overhead and a moment later Cole came into the room. Merrick instinctively stood and offered him his seat, afraid the man would fall down otherwise.

"Say something wrong?" Eric asked.

"I wish I knew." Cole said honestly. "I can't say anything right lately, it seems. Or do anything."

"She's afraid." Merrick said quietly.

"I know why she's doing it, Merrick." Cole was irritated, another sign of how tired he was. "I just wish she wouldn't keep doing it to me."

"That's why we're here, right?" Max asked lightly. "So she'll yell at us and not you?"

"Thanks, guys, but it's not working."

__

"Cole!"

Everyone was on their feet without thinking about it. "Alyssa?" Cole called, moving towards the door.

"Cole, my water's just broken!"

No one noticed the knock on the door.

The front door opened and Cole came out, talking over his shoulder to someone still inside; he didn't notice Tara, and she had to skip backwards to avoid being stepped on.

"Tara." he said in surprise, catching her arm to steady her. "You're here."

"Somewhere else I should be, Cole?"

"Alyssa's in labor!"

"I repeat the question."

Cole looked over her shoulder. "Who's that?"

"Leo." she said without turning around. "He helped me get here in time."

"You needed help?" Cole raised a hand in automatic salute to Leo and then stepped forward to hug Tara. "You're very pale, Tara. Are you all right?"

"Your wife's in labor, Cole, what are you worrying about me for?"

"I always worry about you."

"Worry about Alyssa." Tara advised him.

"Alyssa!" Cole smacked his forehead. "She's waiting for the car!"

"You're driving?" Tara trailed after him to the garage, noting absently that Leo was gone.

"Sure. Why not?"

"Hold out your hand, Cole." Puzzled, Cole extended his hand. "Cole—you could whip cream on that!" Cole's hand was shaking madly. He closed it into a fist. "Who else is here?"

"Merrick, Max and Eric."

"Good. Have Eric drive."

"Why Eric?"

"Because, Cole, Eric can speed without getting a ticket."

"We're not in that much of a hurry, Tara." Merrick observed from behind them.

"You may not be." Tara muttered.

"Why? What's wrong?" Merrick demanded. Tara turned then, and for a moment she looked unaccountably old.

"Miles to go, Merrick." Then she smiled and the age fell away from her, leaving her just as always. "That's not what I meant, anyway. If you're not in a hurry Alyssa probably is."

"Yes. Hospital, please."

They all spun around to see Alyssa standing in the doorway, Max supporting her on one side and Eric hovering behind them.

"Hi guys. Eric, you're driving." Tara said.

"Why?"

"Cause you can speed without getting tickets." Cole spoke up.

"Not in that I can't." Eric gestured to Cole's car. "In my own, yeah."

"Right. Your car's at your house?" Tara asked.

"Yeah, but to get there and back…"

"No." Tara interrupted him. "Get off the road, Cole."

Cole jumped slightly and moved off the road, going to wrap his arms around Alyssa. Everyone watched Tara sit on the edge of the kerb and stare intently up the road.

Nothing happened.

Some more nothing happened.

Eric frowned and stepped forward. "Are you…"

"Don't touch it!" Tara shrieked. Eric back-pedaled reflexively.

"What's happening?" Max asked.

"The road's moving."

"What?" Merrick asked sharply.

"The road's moving." Eric repeated. "Tara…"

"Don't touch me, Eric. I'm nearly done. Just don't touch me."

"Eric…" Max pointed up the road. "That's…"

"I don't believe this." Eric said flatly.

"Believe it." Max laughed out loud.

Without any fuss—or, indeed, driver—Eric's car was gliding towards them. Tara scrambled to her feet, backing away, and the car came to a gentle halt in front of the gate.

"Tara." Eric said. "Did you…"

"It's very tiring." she cut him off. Her tone was very precise, and the Rangers exchanged glances. "So I don't do it much."

"I can't believe you just…people must have seen that!" Eric snapped at her. Tara flinched away from him, moving instinctively towards Merrick.

"No one saw. I know how to do it." She looked around; no one except Merrick would meet her eyes. "What? Eric needed the car."

Alyssa pulled away from Cole to give her an awkward hug. Directly into her ear, she murmured, "Give them a minute. They're a little freaked."

"You needed the car, Alyssa." Tara murmured in return. "You all know who I am."

Alyssa backed away slightly, saying in a louder tone, "Thank you, Tara."

"Thanks." Max muttered.

"Yeah." Cole frowned for a second, then shook his head and smiled. "Thanks, Tara. Alyssa, let's get you settled."

"My bag." Alyssa reminded him.

"I'll get it." Max almost overlapped her, he spoke so fast.

Merrick leaned against the doorframe, watching Eric and Cole help Alyssa into the car. "He still bothers you." he murmured softly.

Tara snorted. "Yes, he still bothers me. I don't know if he'll ever not bother me."

"Tara, do you…"

"He doesn't scare me." she interrupted. "At least, I'm not afraid of him. On edge around him, yes, but not afraid."

"Conchobar was a long time ago."

"Not long enough."

"Here, guys." Max pushed between them, waving Alyssa's bag. Tara ducked to avoid the upswing and stumbled into Eric.

"You do that often?" he asked, steadying her.

"Do what? Lose my balance?" She pulled away from him.

"Move things around like that. You know that's what I meant."

Tara sighed. "No, Eric, I don't do it often. Believe it or not, I'm not trying to expose either you or me."

"You don't like me." Eric said flatly.

"You haven't done anything to me. This isn't the time, Eric." She gestured to where Cole was watching them, waiting for Eric. "Take Alyssa to the hospital. I'm not going anywhere…well, away from this house. Merrick, I can go home?"

"Shayla's there." Merrick said.

"She doesn't bite." Tara said in amusement. "I'll 'phone from here first. Eric, _go. _I'll be in town."

Eric started to say something else, changed his mind, and turned away instead. Tara watched him go before looking back at Merrick. "Merrick, are you going?"

"I promised." He looked uneasy. "Cole's…he's never…"

"It's all right. I'll go home. Call when you know anything, huh?" She smiled, pulling him into a brief hug, and then disappeared into the house, leaving Merrick to find a seat in the already crowded car.

"I know why I'm here, and why Merrick's here," Eric started the car as he spoke, pulling away from the curb, "But why is Max here?"

"Moral support." Max said brightly. "Plus I'm representing Taylor and Danny, and Kendall and Wes and Liss, who all can't be here right now."

"What, were you taking it in turns?" Eric asked.

"Sure." Max shrugged. "Look, everyone wanted to be here, right? But everyone works. So we got together and decided that we'd arrange our schedules so one of us could always be here."

"Well, isn't that cozy." Eric flipped on the siren and pulled into the emergency lane.

"Alyssa and Cole are family." Max said.

"Of course they are."

Max would have kept going, but Merrick was shaking his head slowly and the younger man subsided, muttering under his breath but making no attempt to be heard.

Tara let herself into her house, smiling at the pictures on the wall; Merrick was in one, Shayla was in one, and the rest of the wall was covered with pictures of Cole and the other Rangers.

"Princess? Cole?"

"Cousin Tara!" someone yelled upstairs.

"Hey short stuff, whatcha doin'?"

"Washing!"

"Finish, then. I'm not going anywhere."

Shayla came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. "Tara."

"Princess." Tara answered, bowing lightly.

"Don't do that! Friends don't bow, Tara."

"That's true, I suppose." She considered Shayla for a minute. "I like that dress, Princess."

Shayla looked down at the dress, a soft rose thing that hung loosely from her shoulders, as though she'd forgotten what she was wearing. "Thank you. Merrick tells me this is my color."

"You looked good in white, too."

"Cousin Tara!" Someone cannoned into her from behind.

"Cole!" Shayla scolded. "You shouldn't run into people like that."

"Tara's not people, Mama, she's Tara."

"He's got you there, Princess. OK, short stuff, get off me."

"Aww…" Reluctantly, Cole let go and backed away. "How long you staying, Cousin Tara?"

"Dunno, Cole. A while, maybe. That OK with you?"

"I sleep in my own room now." he informed her.

"Yeah? Which room?"

"The little one in the front."

"Ooh, I always liked that one. Cold in the winter, though, huh?"

"Haven't been there for a winter yet. Why didn't you sleep there if you liked it?"

"I like the view out the back better. Besides, short stuff, my books wouldn't fit in your room."

"Dinner's ready, Cole." Shayla interrupted at that point. "Tara, are you joining us?"

"I've eaten, Princess, but I'll gladly sit with you if I may."

"You don't have to call me Princess, you know. Cole, go sit down. Tara's not going to disappear if you stop looking at her."

Tara grinned mischievously, but when Shayla glared at her she laughed and shook her head. "No, I won't, Cole, so listen to your mother and sit down. And yes, Princess; I think I really do."

Shayla frowned; it took her a moment to track the comment. "Call me Princess? Why?"

"Because you are."

"So are you." Shayla protested.

"It's not the same thing. Thariin's a long time gone, and so's Deirbhile. You've always been a Princess." She shrugged faintly. "It feels…wrong to call you Shayla. Too familiar, or something."

"It doesn't bother me."

"Can I have some milk, Mama?" Cole asked.

"I'll get it." Tara rose to her feet and crossed to the fridge. "I know it doesn't bother you. Bothering you was never the issue. Say 'when', short stuff." She glanced up at Shayla. "Does it bother you that I call you Princess?"

"When!" Cole chirped, and she looked down to find the milk overflowing his glass.

"Ah, Cole…" Shayla reached behind her for the cloth. Tara lifted the glass carefully, carrying it to the sink to drain off some of the milk.

"You slobied." Cole laughed.

"I slobied? You were supposed to tell me when to stop!"

"I did."

She twacked him upside the head, returning his glass to the table. "We'll have to get you a glass with a lid, so it doesn't spill." she decided idly. "Princess?"

"Hmm? Oh…" she thought back over the conversation. "I'm…not so used to it as I used to be. The others, the Rangers…they don't call me Princess anymore."

"Really?" Tara laughed. "I can't…it's hard to imagine them not."

"There's no disrespect in it."

"Oh, I know. That's not the issue either."

"Then what is the issue?"

"What's an issue?" Cole asked.

"Eat your vegetables." Shayla said automatically. "They're good for you."

"Aww, _Mama…_"

"Eat your vegetables." Tara told him. "I was raised in a royal court, Princess. I spent my first six hundred years being polite to everyone around me."

"But you're a princess too." Cole complained. "Weren't you their boss?"

Tara looked at Shayla in amusement. "Wonderful upbringing you're giving this child."

"He didn't learn that from us." Shayla protested, smiling.

"OK, OK, I can deal with this." Tara frowned in thought. "Cole, you know Uncle Cole and Aunt Alyssa are having a baby, right?" Cole nodded solemnly. "And when the baby's old enough, you'll be playing together." Cole nodded again. "Well, are you going to boss the baby around just because you're older?"

"No, Cousin Tara!" Cole blurted.

"Well, it wouldn't have been right for me to boss the others around just because my father was a king, would it?"

"No." Cole admitted.

"My brother always taught me to be polite. He said I had to be respectful especially to people who weren't princes, because that way I'd remember they were still people. Do you understand, Cole?"

"No."

Tara grimaced, rubbing at her forehead. "Any time you want to jump in, Princess?"

"You said you could handle it." Shayla reminded her. "You must have had this conversation with Aoife."

"Aoife was seven years old when she came into my care." She sighed again. "All right. Cole, sometimes when people have power, like when they're kings, they start to think they're better than everyone else. Right?"

"Right." Cole said dubiously.

"So, being polite to them made sure that wouldn't happen. Right?"

"Riiii-ight." Cole thought about it for a long minute. "Are you better?"

"No one is better than anyone else."

"But Mama can do magic, and you can do the things you do…"

"Can you swim, Cole?"

"Swim?" he echoed. "Sure."

"I can't. Does that make you better than me?"

"You can't?" Shayla echoed.

"No. I don't drown, so I never saw the need." She looked back at Cole. "Does that make you better'n'me?"

"No."

"Neither does your Mama's magic, or my…what I do. They're just things we can do."

"Now finish your vegetables." Shayla said quickly. "No, Cole, no more until you're finished." Cole bent obediently over his plate.

Tara leaned back in her chair, smiling absently as she watched him. Shayla glanced at her and then rose to her feet, beginning to clear away the dinner plates. Tara shook her head and got up to help, but Shayla waved her back to her seat.

"Don't be silly, Tara. Tonight you're a guest."

"A guest in my own house." Tara murmured, sitting back down. "If you keep inhaling the food that way, short stuff, you're going to choke."

Cole looked up in alarm. "Mgffg, O wwwog hoke, uuu?"

"No, you won't choke. Don't speak with your mouth full. Tara, don't upset him."

"I'm not!" Tara protested.

Cole swallowed and said quickly, "Yes you are!" By the time Shayla looked up he'd already taken another bite, so she let it go.

"Sorry, short stuff. I'm only teasing. Don't listen to me."

The 'phone rang and she glanced up in surprise; Shayla moved to pick it up and spent several minutes uh-ing and ah-ing. Finally she put it back down. "Alyssa's checked in; the doctor thinks it'll be a few hours yet. Maybe all night. Max is coming here, but the others are going to wait."

"Even Eric?" Tara asked absently.

"He's…what did he say?…representing Wes and Mr Collins."

Tara looked up in surprise. "I didn't know Alex Collins knew Cole and Alyssa."

"He doesn't. But he does know Taylor. And Eric and Wes know them."

"I suppose. You finished, Cole? Let's go find a book to read, huh?"

"Really?" Cole's voice came out in a sort of high-pitched squeak, and she blinked in surprise.

"Uh—sure. Why?"

"Cole doesn't go into your room when you're not here." Shayla explained, picking up Cole's plate and glass. "So he doesn't get to read your books."

"Oh." Tara was mildly surprised at that; Shayla and Merrick had been living here much longer than she had by now. "Some of those books aren't really…I mean, for his age…"

"We know. That's part of it." She glanced up. "You should go catch him before he breaks something."

Abruptly Tara realized Cole had vanished upstairs already, and she pushed herself out of her seat with a sigh. "Oh what fun/it is to chase/a small child round the house, oh…"

"Wrong season." Shayla commented.

"Words fit, though. Cole? What're you doing?"

"Nothing!" Cole yelled from above. The _crash _as he spoke didn't quite fit, though.

"Oh yeah? You better not have knocked anything over…"

"Um…OK!"

Grinning, Tara headed upstairs to fix whatever he'd done.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Hi Funky! Glad you're enjoying the stories. Unfortunately, this is the last one to feature the Rangers for a while.

True, you rock. Why did you take down all your stories? Especially the one with _ME _in it!

Visiting Home Chapter 2

Taylor and Max crossed paths in the hospital lobby as he left to head to Shayla's house.

"Hey, kid. What's happening?" Taylor asked, putting out a hand to stop him.

"Nothing." Max shrugged. "Alyssa's in a room with Cole, but the doctors put everyone out. Merrick and Eric are pacing around in circles. It's kinda funny."

"So nothing's happening?" Taylor asked.

"Nope. Tara's home, though."

"That's nice." Taylor said absently. "Where are the others?"

"Up a floor." Max frowned. "I didn't realize Tara was that scared of Eric."

"What?" Taylor's attention abruptly refocused. "What do you mean?"

"At the house, before. She pulled some mojo to get Eric's car, so he could get Alyssa here fast. Eric called her on it. Seemed to me like she couldn't even look at him."

"She say anything?" Taylor asked.

"They talked. I didn't hear it. Merrick was there, you could ask him."

Taylor nodded. "OK. See you later."

"Call when something happens?"

"Sure."

Merrick and Eric actually were pacing in circles, following the same path but with half the waiting room in between. Taylor watched for several minutes before coming forward to catch Eric's attention.

"Hey. Need to talk to you."

"Something wrong?" Eric asked, following her to the far side of the waiting room. Merrick stopped pacing and stood, ostentatiously not paying them any attention.

"No." Taylor said carefully. "About Tara."

Eric's face closed up. "What about her?"

"It's not your fault." Taylor said quickly. "You remind her of someone else. Just…try not to come up behind her, or get left alone with her. If you can."

"Who?"

"What?"

"Who do I remind her of?"

"It doesn't matter." Taylor told him. "Just…do your best. Please?"

Eric frowned, but before he could say anything else Cole came out of Alyssa's room and Taylor turned towards her former leader.

Max arrived a little later, looking much paler than usual. Tara was sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading something to Cole; the boy kept interrupting to ask questions, and Tara answered every one carefully before going on. Max listened for a minute, smiling; it was the same story she'd once told him on the Animarium, an Irish legend called _Deirdre of the Sorrows._

"I don't think you'll like the ending to that one, Cole." he put in, folding himself onto the floor next to them.

"I know the ending." Cole said, barely paying attention. "I heard the story before."

"Yeah? So why're you listening again?"

"'Cause Cousin Tara tells it the best." Cole said, in a 'duh, that was obvious' tone. "Go on! You're getting to the good part!"

Smiling, Tara looked back at the book, though when Max leaned over to read it it was open to a totally different story; she was reciting from memory, and as closely as he could tell it was identical to the one she'd told him years before. He got up and went to find Shayla; she was in the garden.

"Your son's going to have nightmares." he commented.

"Why? What are they reading?"

"_Deirdre and the Sorrows."_

"Deirdre of_ the Sorrows!" _floated through the window, and he grinned.

"Of. Sorry. Remember? She told us on the Animarium that first time."

"Yeees." Shayla said hesitantly.

"The very first one. She told us others, as well…but the first one. Where everyone dies in the end."

"That happened a lot in those stories, as I recall." Shayla said wryly.

"Can't help it." Tara said lightly, leaning out the window now. Faintly, Max could hear Cole demanding to see, but she was ignoring him. "Ancient Ireland was a bloody place. Lots of people died, and the bloodier the better as far as the Bards were concerned. I told you about the sons of Usnach, right?"

"Yes." Max said quickly. That story, a long one, had taken almost a week to recount, and in the end the heroes had died anyway.

"I didn't make up the stories, Max. I just tell them." She disappeared; Max could hear her giving out to Cole, who had apparently lost her place in the book.

"He loves her." Shayla commented, out of nowhere.

"He's not the only one." Max agreed.

"No, I mean he…" she gestured slightly. Max shook his head.

"I knew what you meant. She's exciting. She doesn't stay around. He loves her because he hasn't seen her any other way."

Shayla looked sharply across at Max. "What do you mean?"

"We've seen her bad." He gestured to Shayla and himself. "She ran away from us; we've seen her crazy in withdrawal. We saw her yell at Merrick and at Alyssa. Cole hasn't seen any of those things."

"I don't think it would matter to him." Shayla said quietly. Tara's voice drifted through the window; she was near the end of the story, Max noted absently. "Cole still loves her."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Cole's young yet."

Silence came from inside the house, broken after a minute by Tara's quiet, "Go say goodnight, Cole." Cole came through the back door to them, still carrying the book; he looked very solemn, but he only said 'Goodnight' before going back inside. Tara was leaning on the windowsill inside, staring absently over Max's shoulder; he didn't bother to turn, knowing he couldn't see what she was looking at.

"You were right, Max." she said suddenly, as though they'd been speaking all along. "He didn't like the ending."

"I thought he'd heard it before." Max protested.

"He had. Didn't like it the first time either." She shrugged slightly, lowering her gaze to look at them both. "I'll be upstairs. If anything happens…"

"We'll let you know." Shayla promised, and Tara smiled before turning away from the window. "You should get some rest too, Max. The doctor said it wouldn't be tonight?"

"Yeah. He seemed pretty sure."

"How is Alyssa?"

"Doing better than Cole. I think now she's actually having the baby she's calmed down a lot."

"And how is Cole?" Shayla asked, smiling gently.

"Nauseous. Actually, so is Taylor."

"The Mighty Power Rangers." Shayla mocked gently.

"Wrong generation, Princess. We're the Wild Force Rangers."

Shayla found Cole in Tara's room at half past four the next morning; the pair were talking quietly, but both fell silent when she came in.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, hands on hips.

"Tara wasn't asleep." Cole defended himself.

"That's not what I asked." Shayla reminded him.

"We were…talking." Cole said finally.

"About what?" Shayla asked.

Tara stirred from where she'd cocooned herself in her blankets. "A lot of things, Princess. Animaria. Ireland. My home before. What the baby's going to be like."

"You know better than to wake someone this early, Cole. Go back to bed. You can talk to Tara later."

Cole dropped off the bed and trailed dejectedly out of the room and back to his own.

"He wasn't disturbing me." Tara said quietly, once she'd heard his door close. "I haven't been asleep."

"Is…there something I can do?" Shayla asked, eyeing Tara's nest uncertainly. True, it was October, but Tara had never been bothered by cold before.

"No. It's just residual effects from something a couple days ago. Don't worry about it." She glanced past Shayla down the hall. "He's precocious."

"Yes." Shayla agreed.

"And very well spoken. I suppose that comes of having you as parents." Off Shayla's look, she added, "Because you're still quite formal at times, Princess, you and Merrick both."

"I don't keep calling you Princess, though." Shayla pointed out, turning to leave.

"I know." Tara agreed, sounding faintly puzzled. "Do you still sing, Princess?"

"Usually yes." Shayla said, not even pretending to misunderstand. "Merrick won't be able to come today, of course."

"I'll watch Cole for you, if you want."

"There's no need. He comes with us." Shayla hesitated for a long minute, glancing at the next room where Max was still asleep before asking quietly, "Do you want him?"

"As a Champion?" Tara asked. At Shayla's nod she went on, "It doesn't work like that. If he is going to be mine, he'll do it as his father and the others did; willingly, and quite possibly without any input from me. Cole and the others were mine like that long before they met me."

"You can't tell at all?" Shayla asked. Tara sighed, spreading her fingers on the blanket and staring at them.

"There are people who are mine so fully and completely that I know it from when they're born. They are people so dead set against me that I know it always. But they're extremes, Princess, most people…I felt nothing when Cole was born, I felt nothing much when his parents died, I felt nothing until you choose him." She shrugged faintly. "Your son…I'm very fond of him, Princess, I really am. But he's not mine, not that way." She smiled at the relief on Shayla's face. "Did you think I was going to steal him away, Princess?"

"No!" Shayla protested too quickly.

"I've seen you fight, Princess, I wouldn't dare." Tara said with a faint smile.

"You've seen…when?" Shayla tried to remember any time she'd fought and drew a blank.

"Onikage." Tara said carefully.

"Onikage? But you weren't even in Turtle Cove then!" Shayla protested.

"I know. I did tell you I'd be watching, Princess."

"Some reason we're all up?" Max asked tiredly, coming to the door of his room. Tara strained to see him but couldn't quite manage it.

"We're discussing philosophy, Max."

"Are we?" Shayla asked.

"More or less." She unfolded herself from her blankets and stood up. "If we're all up anyway, someone with a growlphone call Cole and find out what's happening."

"I guess that's me, then." Max said, leaning back into his room. Tara gathered her blanket up and crossed to sit on the other bed, wrapping it around herself again. From here she could see Max when he came to his door again.

"Are you all right?" Max asked, half-lowering his 'phone.

"Fine, Max. Call Cole. Or someone."

Down the hall, Cole's door creaked open again; Shayla looked exasperated, for all of three seconds before she called softly, "Come on, Cole, you may as well hear."

"Taylor." Max said suddenly. "What's…yeah, we're all…no, we just couldn't…Taylor, will you please stop…I'm serious, you…" Holding the phone away from his ear, he said disgustedly, "She keeps interrupting me."

Shayla held out her hand for the phone and said calmly, "Taylor? Please tell us what's happening." She waited for a minute before nodding. "Thank you, Taylor. We'll be up, if anyone wants to come here for breakfast." She handed the phone back to Max, who automatically raised it to his ear before closing it and putting it away.

"Nothing has happened yet." Shayla reported, lifting Cole onto her hip. "The doctor thinks it will be within the next two hours, perhaps less."

"Two hours?" Max muttered. "Geez. How long does this take?"

"I'm so glad I never had kids." Tara agreed. "Come on, short stuff, let's go get breakfast ready for everyone, hey?"

"Cousin Tara? Why did you never have kids?" Cole asked. Tara hunkered down, looking him straight in the eye.

"Because, short stuff, I didn't want to share my house with anyone but you. Now come on, let's get breakfast ready."

Taylor and Eric arrived half an hour later; Eric was obviously tired, sitting immediately down and closing his eyes. Taylor, on the other hand, was wired; Tara put up with her for twenty minutes before sending her outside.

"Are you mad at Aunt Taylor?" Cole asked. He was cheerfully breaking his mother's rules by sitting on the table as Tara wandered around, preparing a small meal.

"No. She just bothers me when she's bouncy like that."

"Do I bother you when I'm bouncy?"

"If you were bouncy, yes, probably. You don't seem to be, though." Tara stopped to consider him, head on one side. "I could drop you and see."

Cole slid quickly down from the table. "Very funny, Cousin Tara, that's a good joke."

"Who said anything about joking?" She lunged at him, not particularly fast, and he ran out of the room, laughing.

Left on her own, she continued her work until a voice directly behind her asked, "Can I help?"

Tara jumped, dropping the plate in her hands and spun to face the newcomer. Raising his hands, Eric retreated a couple of steps.

"Geez, sorry. Figured you'd know I was here."

"That only works outside." Tara pointed out, hunkering to gather the fragments of plate together.

"Let me help." Eric knelt next to her, reaching for the larger pieces.

"I've got it."

"I can help…"

"I've got it, Eric!"

Shoving to her feet so violently she dropped the pieces she'd gathered, Tara turned as though to leave the room.

"Hold it!" Eric protested. "You can't just…"

"I'm going to get the dustpan and brush." Tara said without looking at him. "Get out of the way so I can sweep it up."

Eric folded his arms and waited for her to return, stepping away just far enough for her to sweep up all the broken bits. "We need to talk about this."

"We could ignore it. That works for me." Tara said, emptying the pan into the bin.

"Not for me. Look, I'm not planning on going anywhere. You're gonna be seeing me. Now let's sort this out."

"A long time ago," Tara said, her words clipped, "I was living in Ireland, and someone who could be your twin brother for looks and personality abused me, systematically, for years." She turned to look at him. "Happy?"

"What? No…you…" He frowned, straightening from the doorway. "Abused? But you're…why didn't you stop him?"

"There were reasons." She turned away again. "I couldn't stop him without hurting, deeply, someone I loved very much. I chose not to do that." She sighed, staring blindly at the plates in her hands. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Eric. I didn't mean to. I just…it's hard to look at you, sometimes, and not…flinch."

Eric nodded absently, still trying to take this in. "No, I…"

"Tara." Taylor said quietly from behind them.

"Breakfast's ready, Taylor!" Tara said brightly, turning towards the other girl. "Where are the others?"

"Coming. Are you…"

"Not really hungry, thanks, but you all go ahead and eat. I have to go out for a bit anyway. I'll be back before you're done." She shoved the plates into Taylor's arms and swept past her out the door before she could speak.

"What happened?" Taylor asked, carefully putting the plates on the table and leaning on a chair.

"She told me why she doesn't like me." Eric said quietly.

"Oh." Taylor said slowly. "What did she tell you?"

"What do you know?" Eric demanded.

"That Conchobhar used to…" Taylor hesitated before going on quickly, "and she couldn't stop him because her husband didn't realize he was doing it."

"Her hus…you knew about this?" Eric demanded.

"Yes." Taylor sat down.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"She doesn't want people to know."

"Oh, but you know?"

"That's different. She didn't mean to tell us."

"She did…how can you _not mean_ to tell someone something like that?"

"What was she supposed to do, Eric? Tell you as soon as she saw you? _Gee, you look just like a guy who abused me years ago_?"

"Taylor?" Cole said uncertainly from the door. Taylor cursed mentally as she turned to look at him.

"What is it, Cole?"

"Breakfast." He looked at her uncertainly. "What are you fighting about?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Sometimes you say silly things." Cole informed her. She stared blankly at him.

"What?"

"Don't worry about it. That doesn't make me not worry."

"Cole…" Taylor shook her head. "And I thought Kite was bad…listen, Cole, it doesn't matter, OK? We're not really mad, we're just…" she looked at Eric for help.

"Upset?" Cole offered.

"Yes. That's it. Now, you eat your breakfast, OK? We have to go…finish this."

"Don't go out the back." he said quietly. "Tara's out there."

"What's she doing?" Eric asked.

"Sitting."

Eric glanced across at Taylor, who laughed shortly. "'S what she does when she's upset, Eric. Come on, we'll go…" She looked around. "We'll go upstairs."

"I'll tell everyone not to go after you." Cole offered.

"Thanks, kid." Taylor said absently.

"Not a kid." Cole told his bowl, determinedly not meeting Taylor's glare.

He was still sitting there when his mother came in with Tara twenty minutes later; the pair were talking idly about nothing much.

"Hey, short stuff." Tara hunkered beside his seat. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Keeping people from going upstairs." Cole said, kicking the leg of his chair.

"Why?" Shayla asked absently, starting to clear away the breakfast no one else had eaten.

"Taylor and Eric are fighting."

"Why?" Tara asked.

"Cause she didn't tell him what you just told him."

"She what?" Tara asked. "Really. Hmm."

"What did you tell him?" Shayla asked. "Cole, don't kick the chair."

"About Conchobhar." Tara said absently.

"Why?" Shayla demanded.

"What's abused?" Cole asked.

"Where did you hear that?" Tara asked, ignoring Shayla.

"Taylor said Eric looked like a guy who abused…I guess you." He frowned.

"Yeah." Tara glanced at Shayla. "You want to help?"

"Abusing, Cole, is when someone hurts another person, deliberately, usually for a long time." Shayla said carefully. Cole thought about that.

"Someone did that to you?"

"It was a very long time ago, short stuff." Tara said. "I don't usually think about it much. It's just that Eric looks like…like that man, and sometimes that…makes me feel sad."

Cole studied her for a long minute. "Hurts you inside."

"Yes. Sometimes. But it's…" she took a deep breath. "It's not all the time. And I trust Eric, I know he would never hurt me."

"He's angry that he didn't know." Cole informed her.

"I know that." Tara said sharply, rising to her feet. "He can put up."

"Hey…" Taylor swung through the door, followed at a distance by Eric. "Cole just called. The baby's here."

"Boy or girl?" Shayla asked.

"Girl. A healthy, perfect little girl, he says."

"Go get dressed, Cole, so we can go." Shayla said. "Taylor, where is everyone else?"

"Wes'll be at work." Eric offered. "I can call him."

"Thanks, Eric." Tara murmured, brushing past him. "I'll go get Max."

"I'm here." Max said, coming in from the back. "What's going on?"

"Danny? It's a girl." Taylor told her growlphone. Wincing, she held it away; they could all hear Danny whooping in delight. "Yeah, yeah, Danny. Listen, we're heading down there now; do you want to meet us there, or come here first?"

While the others were watching Taylor, Eric crossed quietly to where Tara was leaning against the wall. "Tara."

"Eric." she responded.

"Listen, if I…upset you…"

She shook her head, cutting him off. "It's not you, Eric. This is my problem, not yours. Don't worry, you haven't done anything."

"So you keep saying, but you're not looking at me."

Tara nodded. "I know. It's…it's hard for me. More than anything I wanted to kill him, to hurt him the way he hurt me. I carried that around for years. I don't think I ever stopped wanting it. And you're…" She smiled faintly at the flicker in his eyes. "See, Eric? Afraid of me."

"No I'm not." Eric protested. "But you're…" he hesitated, aware that Cole was watching them, even if the others weren't. "He hurt you that badly?" he asked softly.

"Over and over." Tara's eyes were very distant. "I don't sleep much, Eric, but when I do…"

"I thought you didn't think about him." Taylor said loudly.

"I didn't used to, Taylor." Tara agreed. "But I uncovered those memories for you, that night on the Animarium, and once they were unburied I couldn't hide them again." Shaking her head, she glanced around at them. "Why is everyone looking at me? Are we going to see Alyssa or not?"

"Tara, if you…" Shayla started.

"My broken heart'll keep, Princess. Let's just go see the babaí, all right?"

"Mama, I wanna go see the…" Cole stopped and looked at Tara. "What did you call it?"

"Bab-ee." Tara repeated, giving it the same odd twist.

"Babaí." Cole repeated carefully. "'s nice."

"It's just a word." Tara said distantly.

"That's Wes." Eric said as a car stopped outside.

"Ooh! Can I ride in the Guardian truck? Please, Mama?" Cole asked eagerly.

"You may, if Eric and Wes don't mind." Shayla said.

"I'll be real good, Uncle Eric! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?"

"Sure, whatever. Taylor?"

"I'll have to drive Shayla and Tara, remember? I'll see you there."

"Come on, then, Cole." Eric said, nodding briefly to Shayla and Tara before leaving.

"…and the siren went on, and we drove real fast, and…" Cole frowned for a minute. "We went through a red light, but Uncle Wes said it was OK just this once."

"Uncle Wes knows what he's talking about, I'm sure." Tara said with a shrug. "Cole, why are you out here instead of in with the babaí?"

"Wanted to see you." He scrunched up his nose again. "The baba's all…wrinkly'n'stuff, n'everyone's hanging around going, 'ooh, look, she's so sweet, aw, she burped, aw, she coughed, aw, look!' It's so…weird."

"Babies usually start out that way, Cole. Give her five years."

"Five? Aw, man…"

Tara laughed then, and hugged him, and together they went in to see the newest member of their family.

One more chapter to go…


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: And this is it, the end of Allies. I'm taking a two-week break, and then I'll be back with the next section of the Chronicles...Champions, set in the Angel universe.

Andrea, hi! It's been so long! :)

Funky and Andrea: it's not that I'm not writing the Rangers, it's just that they're not going to be the focus of the next lot of stories. They'll still be there; they just won't be the stars, probably. Don't worry, I've a lot planned for them yet...

Visiting Home Chapter 3

Merrick came out of the kitchen into the hall and paused, listening briefly to—well, to everything. They had a full house right now; everyone had come to meet the baby, and everywhere he turned, more or less, he found someone.

Smiling faintly, he went upstairs to check on Cole; the boy was supposed to be sleeping, but he wasn't doing much of that lately. Today, however, Cole was fast asleep; Merrick pulled the door out, leaving it open a little in deference to the unseasonable heat, and had started downstairs again when he suddenly stopped.

Tara was singing to the baby.

He recognized the tune as an Animarian lullaby, one he'd never thought to hear again; he hadn't thought either she or Shayla knew it, although Shayla had probably heard it as a child. Without realizing it, he crossed the landing to lean against the doorframe, the better to hear the song.

Tara was sitting beside the window in the rocker Cole had provided when Little Cole was born; she was rocking gently back and forth, singing to the child. The babaí, as she and Little Cole insisted on calling her, seemed quite happy to listen; she wasn't asleep, but she wasn't crying either.

Tara caught his eye and smiled, gesturing with her freer hand to the dresser; coming into the room, Merrick found his flute sitting on it.

"No." he said immediately, and she looked questioning. "I don't know the tune." he added, and she rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you knew it." he murmured, and she smiled, still singing.

Giving in to the inevitable, Merrick picked up the flute. Listening long enough to pick up her pitch, he raised the flute and began to play.

A sudden silence rose from the garden below, and he smiled, crossing to stand next to the window as he kept playing. Almost everyone was outside, and they'd all stopped whatever they were doing to look up at the window. Shayla was laughing delightedly, and as Tara started the song over she joined in; Tara laughed, startling the child, and switched into a counterpoint Merrick had never heard before. Unsure, he kept playing the tune. Below, Alyssa left the group and came back into the house; as they finished the song again she appeared behind them, waiting patiently in the doorway.

There was a loud round of applause, which Tara ignored, rising to her feet and offering the baby to Alyssa. The Tiger Ranger shook her head, taking a step back until Tara sat back down.

"She likes you." Alyssa said quietly, coming to kneel beside the chair and touch her daughter's hair lightly.

"Na leanbh usually do, Alyssa. When I lived with Cerbhall, not a child was born but I had to go and sing to them."

"Na leanbh?" Alyssa repeated.

"Babies. Sorry."

"Is that what you sang?" Merrick asked, and she shook her head.

"I haven't sang that since I left Animaria, Merrick."

"Why didn't you sing it for Cole?" Alyssa asked, and Tara smiled.

"It's not…the words aren't right. It wasn't suitable for Cole."

"What does it mean?" Alyssa asked, and when neither answered she hastened to add, "It's so beautiful in Animarian…what does it mean?"

Tara shifted the baby slightly; the girl was falling asleep, finally. "Sleep, precious daughter,/Your keeper shall watch you,/Guide and protect you,/No evil befall you./Remember forever/Although you may roam/You're loved, needed and wanted/With your family at home…" she trailed off. "There's more, but…and it rhymes better in Animarian."

"It's beautiful." Alyssa murmured. "But…'Keeper'? And daughter…is there one for a son?"

"There is, but…" Tara glanced at Merrick before going on, "The people I stayed with had only a daughter, so I never heard the son one. And the keeper…are you going to present her to the Wild Zords, Alyssa?"

"Well, yeah…" Alyssa said. "We haven't had time yet."

"Then whichever Wild Zord accepts her as Master will be her keeper, as the Tiger is yours."

"What if it's the Tiger?" Alyssa asked curiously.

"The Wolf's been watching Merrick and Cole since Cole was born. I think the Tiger could manage."

"The Wolf is Cole's?" Alyssa asked.

"You were there, Alyssa." Tara pointed out. "You saw what happened."

"Yeah, but…Merrick?"

Merrick looked up, startled; he'd been fingering his flute and paying no attention to the conversation. "What?"

"The Wolf." Tara said patiently.

"What about him?"

"Watches the both of you now."

"So?"

"Never mind, Merrick." Tara said in disgust. "Are you going to play that or just with it?"

Merrick frowned as he thought through that sentence again. "I…never mind. I was trying to remember the other lullaby."

"The boys' one?" Tara asked. "I never heard it…do you remember it?"

Merrick shook his head. "Not well. Too long ago. The boys' one was different, anyhow."

"Different how?" Alyssa asked, moving out of Tara's way as she rose to put the baby in the crib.

"Not so much emphases on love and being protected." Shayla said from behind them. Cole was leaning against her hip, yawning. "More about fighting and protecting other people."

"Sounds wonderful, Princess." Tara said mildly, stepping away from the crib.

"I liked the girls' one better." Shayla said thoughtfully.

"I'm not surprised." Tara agreed. "If I'm reading Merrick's fingers right the boys' one doesn't even sound as nice."

"You're…excuse me?" Merrick demanded.

"What?"

"You're reading my fingers?"

"Sure." She blinked at him. "I play…well, not a flute, but something similar. I can finger if I want to, Merrick."

"What do you play?" Alyssa asked.

"Excuse me?"

"What do you play?" she repeated. "If it's not a flute."

"It's…the name wouldn't mean anything to you. It's similar to a flute; it tends to sound lower."

"You played it on that tape." Alyssa said suddenly, and Tara nodded.

"I don't play it often; a relic of aul' dacency, you could call it."

"If we knew what that meant." Shayla pointed out.

"You people have no romance in your souls." Tara huffed, lifting Cole onto her hip and sashaying past everyone into her room. "You come talk with me, short stuff, and we'll leave the boring old groan-ups together."

"Hey!" Alyssa protested. "You're older than all of us put together!"

"And multiplied several times." Shayla murmured.

"Rub it in, guys. Go on." Tara said, pushing the door closed behind her. From the way Cole immediately started squealing, though, she wasn't as mad as she'd made out.

"Cole, are you ready?" Alyssa asked quietly. Cole glanced up from his parents' headstones and nodded, reaching to take his daughter.

"We shouldn't keep the others waiting, anyway. Where's Tara?"

"Down at the gate." Max offered from where he was standing a respectful distance away. "I'll go get her, if you want."

"We'll go that way." Cole said with a shrug. "Doesn't make a difference."

"So which animal d'you think'll take her?" Max asked brightly, half-skipping to keep up with Cole.

"It doesn't matter, Max." Cole reminded him.

"I hope White Tiger does." Alyssa said thoughtfully. "I'd like to think my Zord was protecting my daughter."

"Any of them would do it, Alyssa." Tara commented idly as they reached the gate. "They're very dedicated to all of you."

"I know." Alyssa agreed. "I'd just…like it."

"How come you never go into the graveyard, Tara?" Max asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

"I don't like it." Tara said with a shrug.

"It's a nice graveyard." Alyssa said tentatively.

"Nice has nothing to do with it. You walk in there and you see grass and stones. I walk in there and see what's under the grass. Besides, Elves don't bury their dead so it's not something I was ever used to."

"You don't?" Cole asked. "What did you do then?"

"See…" Tara reached for the baby as she spoke. "Elves didn't die. You could kill us in battle or we could…" she grinned wryly, "die of a broken heart, but we were never sick and we didn't age much. What, Max?"

Max had been shaking his head slightly, and now he looked up, surprised. "Just…you keep saying 'we'. I thought you were the only Elf left."

"I am. But I'm always an Elf…I've told you this, Alyssa."

"Whoever you are, you're always Thariin." Alyssa murmured.

"Yup."

"You're Tara." Cole said quietly, and she smiled faintly.

"You've never seen Thariin, Cole, not properly. Tara is her very own person, but Thariin is always there underneath." Tara glanced down at the child. "Hello there. Are we talking too loud for you? Tar ar ais i do chodladh, babaí."

"What now?" Max asked.

" 'Go back to sleep, baby.' " Tara translated without looking up.

"I saw Thariin." Alyssa said thoughtfully, taking her daughter and rocking her lightly. "When…during LaserOrg's attacks."

"Yes. Can't hide from the Earth." Tara looked around. "Are we actually going to the Animarium, guys? 'Cos if so we're taking the long way 'round."

"We're not in a rush." Cole reminded her.

"I know, Cole."

The ceremony on the Animarium was different this time, without Cole's need to prove himself as the father; instead they skipped straight to presenting her to the animals.

"Red Lion!" Cole called. "Gorilla! Falcon!"

"White Tiger!" Alyssa added. "Elephant zord! Deer zord!"

"This is our daughter, Sara." Cole told them.

Shayla took half a step forward and asked, "Who will guide this child?"

The Deer started to call and then stopped, looking at the Lion; the Lion ignored him and looked at White Tiger, who was staring intently at Alyssa. Cole looked from Alyssa to the Tiger and back again, and then suddenly smiled. At the same moment Alyssa said, "The Lion will guide our daughter." She blinked and looked up at Cole.

"Thank you." Cole murmured to her, then he looked up at Red Lion and added, louder, "Thank you, my friend."

Merrick stepped forward and Alyssa surrendered Sara to the round of introductions. "Hello, Sara. I'm Merrick, and this is Shayla. And this," he carefully crouched, gesturing his son forward, "is Cole. You will always have a home with us."

"She's awfully small." Cole said critically.

"She'll grow." Shayla said. "You were that small once."

"And smaller." Tara added, and there was a soft round of laughter.

Rising, Merrick proffered the tiny girl to Tara, who shook her head. Taylor stepped forward, taking her.

"Hey, kiddo. I'm Taylor, and this is Eric." She smiled at Eric. "And that's Wes lurking over there. You'll get to know them." Turning, she handed her on to Danny.

"Hello, Sara." Danny said quietly. "I'm Danny. You're gonna have trouble later, little one; your parents are the best people I know, and it's gonna be hard to live up to that." He smiled briefly at Cole and Alyssa. "I'll help you, 'kay? I don't have any children."

"Yet, Danny. You don't have any children yet." Max took the girl away from him. "Hey, kid. I don't have anything clever to say to you."

"When do you ever have anything clever to say period?" Taylor asked, but there was no malice in the question and Max confined himself to sticking out his tongue at her.

When he turned Tara was at his elbow and he handed Sara to her without question. "Hey." Tara said softly. "You have a good name, Sara. A strong name. And a strong guide to go with it. You make sure and do them justice."

No one moved for a long minute, caught by the tone of her voice; then Cole took a step forward and Tara turned, holding the child out to him and stepping back when he'd taken her.

"You OK?" Cole asked, rocking his daughter gently.

"Fine, Cole. Too much…" she trailed off for a minute. "Miles to go, I guess."

"You said that before." Merrick murmured.

"Still true, Merrick." She glanced around and laughed a little shakily. "Why is it every time we do something involving Sara, we end up with everyone paying attention to me? Go coo at the babaí."

"Why do you keep saying that way?" Cole asked curiously. "Bab-eee."

"It's the Gaelic word for baby, is all."

"What's Gaelic?" Max asked. Tara made a face at herself.

"Irish. Or old Irish, anyway…" She ignored the look of alarm in Taylor's eyes and turned to Little Cole. "What do we say?"

"Aithnionn ciaróg ciaróg eile." Cole said promptly.

"Good boy, Cole."

"What does that mean?" Shayla asked as they started back towards the courtyard.

"One beetle knows another beetle." Little Cole told her, and she made a face.

"It takes one to know one." Tara re-translated, and she smiled in comprehension.

"Why are you teaching my son Irish?" Merrick asked mildly.

"He wanted to learn it, Merrick. He wants to read _Deirdre_ in the original Irish." She shook her head quickly. "Besides, a couple of seanfhocail—" Merrick shook his head, and she made a face and corrected herself, "proverbs, then—aren't going to corrupt him. We're learning Animarian as well."

"Are we." Merrick said, turning to eye his son. Cole, showing remarkable self-preservation instincts, began ostentatiously playing with Sara.

In Animarian, Tara continued, "{He knows about three words in each language, Merrick. You were going to teach him Animarian, weren't you?}"

"We hadn't discussed it."

Tara nodded. "I'm sorry; I never even thought…no more. Not until you decide, Merrick." She nodded firmly and then turned abruptly away, staring down over the cliff.

"I like Irish." Cole protested.

"Another day, Cole." Tara didn't turn. "Go play with Sara now."

Cole scowled but went to do what he was told.

"Are you all right?" Danny asked, touching Tara's arm when she didn't answer.

"What? Yes…I'm fine. It's nothing, Danny."

"It's not." Danny said, and she smiled quickly.

"No, really. I'm sorry, I just got distracted for a minute."

"What's happening?" Merrick asked.

"An earthquake in LA. It's not important."

"Do you have to go?" Alyssa asked, cradling Sara.

"No. It'll manage to quake without me." She laughed at the look on her face. "Really, Alyssa. Let's just…let's not go yet." She turned away to get something to eat, cutting off any more questions.

"You're not all right."

Tara glanced up at Danny, surprised. "Danny. I am, I told you. Just distracted."

"From here?" Danny asked. "Isn't it harder from up here?"

"It's a big earthquake."

"Hey, Cousin Tara!" Cole yelled.

"Yeah, Cole."

"Watch me! Are you watching?"

"I'm watching!"

"Watch me!"

"I am, Cole! I'm watching you!"

Cole did a fairly accurate Tarzan yell and launched himself out of Cole's tree, swinging—badly—on a vine. He careened across the courtyard and back, banged into the tree again and slid down the vine, landing in a heap on the floor.

"Very nice." Tara laughed, crossing to hunker beside him. "You gortaigh?"

"No." he muttered. "Was anyone lookin'?"

"Everyone was." Merrick said mildly. "You yelled enough. I think even Sara was watching." Cole groaned and buried his head in his arms. "Come on, Cole, get up."

"Are you hurt?" Shayla asked, crouching next to him.

"No, Mama. Jus' my knee an' my arm an' my side."

Tara touched his face lightly. "Nothing serious. What did they used to…you'll be better before you're twice married."

"Not gonna get married." Cole protested.

"Oh? Why not?" Shayla asked, brushing some dirt from his top.

"Cos I havta take care of the animals, don't I?" He looked between his mother and father. "After? Don't I…they'll need me, right?"

"Maybe." Merrick said after a minute. "We'll see."

"Where did you hear that, Cole?" Tara asked interestedly.

"Nowhere. No one said it, I just…Mama and Papa do it now. I thought that was gonna be my job."

Sara wailed suddenly, and everyone except Cole jerked at the noise. "Whoops. Someone's tired." Alyssa said quickly. "Cole, you wanna help me settle her down?"

"Sure, I guess. Mama?"

"Yes, you may." Shayla agreed, rising with Merrick's help and watching her son follow Alyssa away.

"Acch…" Tara muttered, turning abruptly away. "He's…there's something right there, and I can't…"

"You're imagining things." Merrick said firmly. "Cole is simply Cole."

"You just don't spend enough time at home to know the difference." Taylor added.

"Busy busy, Taylor. Don't see you off base grounds much, come to that."

"It's not a contest, you guys." Cole said quietly.

"What? You mean I don't get to win? There's a first." Tara said, grinning madly. "Aw, feck…I really have to go. Can someone bring me down, please? Anyone?"

"I will." Max offered, when no one else spoke.

"Thanks. Max." Tara said gratefully.

{Are you in trouble?} Merrick asked.

{It's a big quake. Merrick, I have to go. I'll come by the house later, all right?}

"Be careful." Shayla murmured.

"Always am. Let's go, Max." She turned to look at Cole. "Tell Alyssa good bye for me, will you?"

"Sure." Cole agreed. "See you soon."

Max grinned quickly around the group and then headed out of the clearing, Tara on his heels.

"Where're they going?" Alyssa asked, coming back into view with young Cole behind her.

"Tara had to go." Cole said, wrapping his arms around her. "Max'll be back in a few minutes."

"Where did she go?" Little Cole asked.

"Back home." Taylor said. "Some earthquake or something."

"Oh." he said quietly, nodding. Then he looked up. "Uncle Cole?"

"Yeah?" Cole let go of Alyssa and hunkered down to his namesake's level. "What is it?"

"Did you know your daughter snores?" Little Cole asked very seriously.

"No." Cole was equally serious. "Does she?"

"Yup. Like this." Little Cole snored quietly.

"Really? Like that?" Cole frowned, scrubbing a hand through his hair. "Hmm…and I bet you never snore, huh?"

"No, I…" he broke off and looked at his father.

"Yes, he does." Merrick corrected him. "Loudly. For long periods of time."

"Do not!" Little Cole protested, flushing.

"Yes you do." Merrick said firmly. Little Cole scowled.

"Well, I don't know if I do 'cos I'd be asleep when I did so I won't be able to tell." he said, somewhat confusedly.

"That's a good point you have there, Cole." Cole said. Leaning closer, he mock-whispered, "Besides, your father snores too so I wouldn't worry too much."

"Hey! I do not!" Merrick protested.

Shayla caught Little Cole's attention and nodded firmly when Merrick wasn't looking. "Hah! Mama says you do!" Cole crowed, running to hide behind the Princess' skirt before Merrick could answer.

"Does she indeed." Merrick said, smiling. "Well, I suppose I must bow to her wisdom."

"I would." Danny agreed, nodding at Max as he came back into the clearing. "Hi, Max."

"Hey." Max said, tucking Cole under one arm in an overly absent manner and carrying him half-way across the courtyard.

"Uncle Max…" Cole protested.

"Hmm? What?" He looked around, frowning, and finally lifted Cole high enough to see him. "Oh. What are you doing down there?"

"You picked me up, Uncle Max!"

"Hmm? I don't remember doing that."

"Papa…" Cole protested.

Merrick, busy talking to Eric and Wes, ignored him; the two Guardians could see him struggling not to laugh, though.

"Uncle Max, put me down!" Cole protested, once he realized his father wasn't going to help.

"But I didn't pick you _up_, Cole. You must've done that yourself."

"No fair, you're bigger'n'me!" Cole wriggled, trying to get Max to put him down.

"Oh, put the kid down, Kid." Taylor said, striding across and taking Cole away from Max, setting him back on his feet.

"Don't call me kid!" Max and Cole chorused together.

That was it; Cole collapsed in helpless laughter, and most of the others joined him.

"Kids." Taylor muttered half-heartedly.


End file.
